Pitore Duskfall
Pitore Duskfall is a Blood Elf Death Knight who has managed to escape the control of the Lich King. Now loyal to the horde, he fights a constant battle against not only the darker side of his nature, but also against the constant distrust and suspicion that he faces from his one-time countrymen. Appearance Any who knew Pitore before his "change" would remember him as a young, vital and healthy-looking man. He had long straight blond hair and tanned skin, the legacy of many years spent in the field. His eyes burned with the green fel energy that is a signature of his race, and yet it did not overwhelm his features like it does on many others. To many, he could be held up as an example of Sin'dorei manhood. However, nowadays, such is not the case. Pitore' skin is a dead, corpse-like white in color, appearing to be pallid and lifeless. His features are lined, while a prominent scar adorns the right side of his face, cutting across his right eye and tracing down to his jaw. The rest of his body is similarly marked, scars from his many battles cut into his skin. The result is somewhat jarring; his features are still fine and handsome, however, they have been horribly defaced. Like his skin, Pitore's hair has been bleached white by his transformation. Most distressing, however, are his eyes; they now burn with an unholy, icy-blue light; even if he could conceal his injuries, his eyes permanently mark him for what he is. Despite these injuries, Pitore still retains a chiseled, muscular build; he keeps himself in trim fighting condition, ensuring that he is at the best physical fitness that his condition will allow for. He carries himself with a degree of confidence knowing that, while he has been marked by his experiences, he has managed to endure. In stark contrast to his ghostly skin and hair, Pitore wears a suit of imposing, dark and yet ornate armor, the same set that he wore while in the service of the Scourge Personality Like his body, Pitore' personality has changed completely due to the suffering he has endured. Formerly a relatively outgoing and upstanding individual, he carried himself with a sense of pride and duty and dedication to his people. However, he never let that duty overtake his morals or standards, and knew when to do the right thing - especially when it conflicted with his orders. Today, however, he is a changed man. Sullen and withdrawn, he tries to avoid contact with others. While he knows that he is no longer under the Lich King's control, he also realizes that his freedom is not yet absolute; while the Lich King lives, there is every chance of him lapsing - even momentarily. Realizing that the consequences of such could be drastic, he prefers to isolate himself. This situation does seem to have some benefits; others do avoid him, recognizing him for what he is and seeing him as "impure" at best and a danger at worst. The memories of his experiences in the service of the Lich King have left Pitore with a burning hatred of the Scourge, as well as a seething determination to destroy them once and for all. He does this not out of revenge, however, nor out of the desire to fully free himself. Rather, he wishes to ensure that none shall suffer as he has under the Lich King's rule. This has caused some issues with other members of the Horde, however. While he knows that the Forsaken are, like him, refugees from the Scourge, he does not approve of their methods or the extremes they are willing to go to, specifically the Apothacaries and the horrors they are willing to unleash. That is not to say that he holds himself back; rather, Pitore believes in using every weapon at his disposal against the undead legions. He will not hesitate to do what is needed to bring victory against the Lich King, and is not afraid to be the one to execute those tasks. He knows that he does these things because he has made the choice to do such, rather then being compelled by a greater force. History Soldier of Quel'thalas Born Pitore Eversun, he was raised by a comfortably middle class family in Silvermoon City. Choosing to join the Thalassian millitary as soon as he was able to, he trained - and excelled - as a soldier. He saw combat against both the Orcish Horde and the Amani Trolls during the second war; while the fighting was rather brutal and harsh, his unit managed to triumph against their foes. At the end of the war, they were decorated for their bravery. With the end of the second war, the High Elves chose to leave the Alliance. Pitore spoke out against this move, stating that the humans and High Elves should instead work together in order to rebuild their kingdoms and prevent such tragedies from recurring. Even after they left the Alliance, however, he maintained his loyalty to the nation and its rulers, vigilantly watching over the forests as they regrew. This vigil was rewarded decades later when the Scourge attacked Quel'thalas. While he was not prepared for the numbers and ferocity of the undead legions, he was able to rally his troops, allowing some such as himself to survive against the Scoruge’s armies. Fearing for the worst, they prepared to make their last stand; however, that moment never came. Instead, the Scourge bypassed them, headed straight for the Sunwell. Pitore and the other survivors were saved, but still suffered the loss of their nation, their people, and the source of their power. The new Order The contact between the surviving High Elves and their prince, Kael'thas Sunstrider, heralded a rebirth of their people, one that Pitore readily embraced. He was particularly fascinated by the organization known as the Blood Knights that were being raised from the High Elf Ranks. He had served alongside several human Paladins during the war, and had nothing but the utmost respect for them. He readily volunteered to become a Blood Knight, seeing it as a way to honor those brave men. Embracing the new future of his people, he willingly supported their joining the Horde, despite having fought against them only a couple of decades before. He realized that their goals and dreams could not be achieved on their own, and knew that the support of others would be essential to their future. He saw this as being a chance for a fresh start, giving the Orcs and their other allies a chance. Vengeance Proud of his role in the new Horde, Pitore strode forth to serve his people and their allies. He was confident in his convictions, firmly believing that what he was doing was the right thing. As they fought back against the Scourge in the Ghostlands, he could see no wrong in his actions; the undead were an evil force, the ones that had nearly destroyed his nation. There would be no reasoning with them, only death. He continued with this crusade across both Azeroth and then to Outland. Initially eager to join his prince and his people in the so-called promised land, he was shocked and appalled to find that Kael’thas had sided with the Burning Legion, the same power that overseen the destruction of Quel’thalas. Furthermore, his people, the Blood Elves of Outland, were now his enemies, and he was forced to confront them. Rather then giving into despair, he instead vowed to avenge this betrayal of his people and their loyalty. He continued his crusade across the shattered lands of Outland, vowing to bring justice to Kael’thas. Eventually, matters cumulated in the battle for the Sunwell; with Kael’thas slain, the Legion defeated and the Sunwell re-ignited, many finally believed that the Sin’dorei race had been redeemed for their past. However, Pitore was not one of them. Crusade Believing that his race would never be free of their past while the Scourge still existed, Pitore sought to defeat them for all time. Gathering a small following of like-minded Sin’dorei, he travelled south, heading for the Plaugelands. Using his light-given abilities, he was able to cleave a bloody path through the Scourge at the head of his band of followers. For a moment, he believed that victory would be whin his grasp. His crusade, however, drew unwanted attention from other parties. Seeing the damage he had wrought, the Scourge sent one of its champions, a Death Knight, to bring and end to him. At the ruins of Corin's Crossing, Pitore was confronted by a sinister, armored figure. Unfortunately, in this one moment, his desire for redemption overwhelmed his common sense; he saw the Death Knight as a trophy to be claimed. The Death Knight cut him down, running him through with their blade. One by one, the rest of his followers fell, overwhelmed by the Scourge. However, this was not the end. Rebirth Impressed by his power and fury, the Scourge had other plans for Pitore. He was transported to the mighty citadel of Archerus, and revived by the Scourge's Necromancers. Seeing his potential, he was indoctrinated into their Legions, granted the power of a Death Knight. Serving as a part of the Scourge, he was sent into battle, serving the very cause that he had pledged to destroy. His will enthralled to the Lich King, he showed no remorse or pity as he was dispatched to slaughter the forces of the Scarlet Crusade that had amassed in opposition to the Scourge. He cut down fleeing farmers as readily as he would armed soldiers, and defiled their corpses, raising them as undead ghouls to fuel the Scourge's armies. Everything changed again with the battle of Light’s Hope Chapel; freed from the iron grasp of the Lich King, he once again remembered who and what he was, while also retraining the full memory of the horrors that he had wrought while under the Scourge’s command, including the slaying of Helios Northstar, a former comrade in arms who the Scourge had taken prisoner and offered to him as proof of his loyalty. Realising that he was damned for his past actions, he chose to side with Darion Mogriane and stand against the Lich King. Redemption Leaving behind the Plaugelands, Pitore chose to travel north, back to his homeland. Once there, he offered his services again to the Horde, vowing to use the abilities that he had been granted to destroy the Scourge and end their menace to the world. While wary, the Blood Elf leaders chose to support him, realizing that his knowledge and experience of the Scourge gave him a unique insider's perspective on their hated foe. To make matters worse, the rest of the Horde, already unpleasant towards his fellow Sin'dorei felt that he and others like him represented a threat and were hostile towards him, to say the least. There were two matters, however, that softened this blow somewhat. The first was odd but at the same time welcome; he found a certain camaraderie existed between those freed Death Knights who had pledged their loyalty to the Horde. All living in similar states of rejection and abandonment, they chose to band together under a common banner. The second was somewhat unexpected; he was reunited with Vessalis Suntouch, a Blood Elf mage whom he had served alongside in past. Unlike so many others, Vessalis was able to look past Pitore's past, realising that, deep down, he was a good and honest person who had been put through horrible circumstances that would have broken a weaker man. Since then, the two have become close friends, with Vessalis being one of the few outside his fellow Death Knights who are willing to give Pitore an opportunity to prove himself. For the Horde (Work in progress; coming soon) Category:Characters Category:Horde Category:Blood Elf Category:Death Knight Category:Articles by PytorRasputin